1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments described herein relate generally to verifying memory device integrity and, more particularly, to memory verification in an online computing device.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to use checksum-based systems to verify the integrity of computer memory in limited scenarios. For example, error-correcting code (ECC) random access memory (RAM) detects memory errors but performs such error detection only as specific portions of the memory are accessed. It is also known to verify memory integrity in an offline mode, such as by executing a memory test utility in place of a conventional operating system.
However, existing systems and methods do not provide for continuous memory protection while a computer is online, executing one or more application programs within a demand paged operating system. Especially in computing devices where high reliability over an extended period is required, protection of the data stored within memory of the device is essential. For example, some high-reliability systems operate for months or years with little activity but are expected to function flawlessly in an emergency.